Huran
The continent of Huran is a continent on the planet Morterra. It is considered the "oldest" out of the four major continents, as intelligent life first developed there before emerging on the other lands. It is primarily inhabited by Earthen and Fey Humanoids, as well as Scalykind. Geography The landmass is populated by a number of different climates and offers a large variation of terrain. The land is rended by powerful magic, forming anomalies across the continent. Effects of this magic include the large desert in the west, called the Scorn, as well as the ravaging rivers that run through the countries. Huran connects in the north to the continent of Noijia, a smaller landmass with a chain of islands running to its neighbouring continents. To the west, the Reinfeld Coalition, a long range of marine mountains turned islands, serves as Huran's eastern neighbour, connecting it to the far-east continent of Marass. Huran is divided into a number of countries, their predominantly dictated by geographically significant regions: North The northern coast of Huran runs along the Scorn desert and the Folkloss Jungles and mostly exists out of harsh, flat rocklands in the west, and swamps in the west. The region connects in the south to the middle of the continent, in a corridor of rocklands that divide the two untamed lands. The coast leads into the Crossing Sea, a vast and empty ocean that leads to the archipelago of Oftspoke that lies east of Marass. The area is generally referred to the country that rules it; Dragonhearth. Dragonhearth is a union between the native Lizardfolk, and the Dragonborn from Noijia. To the north of Dragonhearth is Hikaar, a peninsula that connects to one of Noijia's islands. This area contains landmarks such as: * The northern part of the Great Gatespire: A mountain range with an arcane anchor held within. * Dragonkeep: Once a Dwarven fortress, repurposed by Dragonborn as a prison. * Death's Grasp: the border of the Scorn, petrified statues of plants and animals cover the land. * Hefthall: A disputed city and surrounding land connecting Dragonhearth to Lighthaven. * Paradoch: A massive volcano with a shattered caldera, and location of capital of Dragonhearth, Scorchrock. The volcane is also known as the Second Sun. * Hikaar: A peninsula that connects to Espolin, a country within the continent of Noijia. Northeast This region is almost exclusively the Folkloss Jungles; a stretching rainforest with many hills. Very few have explored the land, but deteriorated ruins imply a lost civilisation once thrived in it. The eastern end of the continent is a small country of dunes and grasslands and is the only habitable area in the region. It connects to the first few islands of the Reinfeld Coalition. This tongue of the region, along with the first island in the chain, is called Loshore and is ruled by Lighthaven. However, due to the thicket of the Folkloss Jungles and its feral denizens, the satellite nation operates mostly autonomously. This area contains landmarks such as: * The Ruins of Aaldor: A large grouping of valleys, within the ruins of a once immense fortress can be seen from the sky. * Stonekar: A small military city that protects Loshore from the creatures that come from the Folkloss Jungles. * Epicar: The capital of Loshore and a trading hub between Huran and the Reinfeld Coalition. West The west of Huran is nearly completely engulfed in the Scorn, bar for a tendril of swamps that covers the south of the country Leda and runs into its southern neighbour Shoritch. The coast of the region is cut off by a long stretch of tall mountains, blocking much of the weather. The mountain range hides a large system of caves and chasms that have become the home of the Shadow Races, darkness-accustomed variations of Dwarves, Elves and Gnomes. This area contains landmarks such as: * The southern part of the Great Gatespire: A long mountain range that holds an arcane anchor within. * Shatterscore: The tallest mountain in the continent, and a large labyrinth made by an unknown race. It is a popular hub for adventurers seeking a challenge. * Ledatta: The capital of Leda, and the primary entrance into the dark hollows of the Great Gatespire. Interior This region of the continent is primarily grasslands and twilight forests. It is closed in by the Folkloss Jungles to the north, the Storm Ridge mountains to the west, the Tremblepeak Range to the east and a large area of dunes to the south. The Dragon River runs across it, in which countless smaller rivers from the bordering mountain ranges converge. The area is ruled by the Humanoid kingdom of Lighthaven, a matriarchal government with very rigid traditions and customs, and is a major player in the coalition of the southern countries of Huran. Due to its position, it is also on the frontier of the Scorn, Dragonhearth and the Folkloss Jungles, and handles large traderoutes between Snelblum, and Starbay and beyond. This area contains landmarks such as: * The Storm Ridge: A range of towering mountains that block much of the weather into the Scorn, creating tumultuous storms. * The Kariston Wall: A wall that stretches between the Dragon River and Kwalsreek, closing the border between the Folkloss Jungles and Lighthaven. * Ierzbane: An academic city based on a stable portal to the Ethereal Plane. * Corridor: The capital city of Lighthaven and the home of its queen, lady Demi Truthforth. * Guadian Hill: A large hill on which Corridor is located. Legend says it is the overgrown corpse of an immense being. * Tremblepeak: A mountain in the east, rumoured to be the home of a legendary medicine man. * Prowza: A traditional Wood Elven settlement in an ancient oak. * Dizkard: A major industrial city ruled by Dwarves. * Oldbend: A city placed over the meeting point of two rivers, acting as a mercantile hub. East The east of Huran is dominated by mountainous terrain with sporadic savannah fields. The majority of the region is undiscovered, with exception for a part of the coast. This is due to two isolationist countries that make the area their home; the Goliath nation of the Rock Queen, who rule the land between the Tremblepeak Range and the Dividing. The second nation is the Recluse, a country on the northern half of the east coast. A large, earthen wall surrounds the area from all sides bar the sea. According to history books, it is a nation of druids who foresaw the end times and attempted to hide from the destruction. This area contains landmarks such as: * The Recluse: A large wall stretching across the border of the nation. * Golleon: The rumoured base of operations of the Rock Queen, though its location remains unknown. * Echo Valley: A valley surrounded by mountains with unique acoustic properties. A shout from inside it can be heard for miles. Southwest A drawn-out piece of land that juts out from the rest of the continent, also called Huran's Knife by foreigners, is a region dominated mostly by dunes and foggy swamps and grasslands. A massive marine mountain claws above the ocean to the west of the continent, while a large dune island populated the southern sea. The area is primarily inhabited by an agricultural society called Shoritch, however a large, underground government system ran by a man only known as the Rogue King keeps its population safe and handles under the guise of night. This area contains landmarks such as: * The Twin Valleys: Two valleys facing away from one another. The areas are surging with wild magic. * Gadador: The capital of Shoritch and the first tooth of the southern sea of Krowl's Maw. * Goradi: The capitcal of the eastern country of Starbay and the second tooth Krowl's Maw. * Torchpike: A mountainous island in the southern part of the Crossing Sea. The summit remains unexplored to date. South The south of Huran is a large, bay-like sea called Krowl's Maw. Although mostly empty, small islands and sand banks are scattered near the coasts of the countries Starbay and Snelblum. This area contains landmarks such as: * Pestal: A dune island southwest of Krowl's Maw, ruled by the Rogue King. * Fantano: Two tall mountains jutting from the surrounding dunes in Snelblum. * Enesk: A port city in Snelblum that trades with Starbay and Shoritch. The Glacial River ends here in a delta. Southeast This region of the continent is the largest flatlands on the continent, consisting mostly out of savannah and dunes. The area has strong ties to the Feywild, as a large portal to the plane of whimsy is located in Snelblum's capital of Madeo. The portal has been stable for centuries, allowing many Fey to enter to plane. The region connects to Krowl's Maw, the Caged Ocean and the Nautical Trail. Two large islands are located to the south of the mainland, both of which have a tropical climate where many exotic and exclusive fruits and animals thrive. Although the western island is ruled by the Gnomish nation of Snelblum, the other one is an independent state of its natives; Tortles. Off the coast of that island, a massive, underwater palace called Willforge is carved out of a trench. The palace is the homebase of Triton and Sea Elves. This area contains landmarks such as: * Madeo: A massive, metropolitan city and the capital of Snelbum. Many philantropic and scientific organisations are located there. An ancient, stable portal to the Feywild is located in the heart of the city. It is also known as the City of Progress. * Glimmercave: A massive chasm where arcane crystals are harvested. * Verzin: The western counterpart of the two southern islands, the home of pragmatic merchants. * Viridar: A large, natural castle created by a druid king, 4 millennia ago. * Logsend: The basalt-like island of the Tortles. A ship-building port called Tortle Rock is its capital. * Willforge: The home of Aquatic Races and a popular landmark for Genasi. * The Nautical Trail: A long trading route between Logsend, the Reinfeld Coalition and Marass. Only one ship has ever made it all the way to Marass. Underdark The Underdark, also referred to as the dark hollows, is a great cave system that runs through the Scorn. The Shadow Races that inhabit the tunnels are secretive and often refuse to discuss their home, so little information exists of it. This area contains landmarks such as: * The Great Anchors: A set of arcane anchors of undeterminate function. They connect to the one present in Dragonhearth. * Avolis: Supposedly a centre with stable portals to many different planes, though no one has been able to confirm to date.